Despite mostly uncontested races, UF students lined up at polling stations early Tuesday to cast their ballots and shape the future of campus life, selecting — or, in many races, simply affirming — the next cohort of on- and off-campus representatives to fill Student Government’s senate chamber.
For the first time since last Fall, Vision Party faces opposition — with the Hope Party, along with one independent, competing for nine slots. Tuesday marks Hope Party’s debut in Student Government, replacing Vision’s previous opponents, the Change and Watch Parties.
Students are voting on 50 living-area senators — 13 on-campus and 47 off-campus seats.
Tuesday brought out 6,976 voters, according to Supervisor of Elections Makena Romero.
Voter turnout increased by just over 14%, as only 6,115 students voted last fall.
Polls are open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday at:
- Honors Village Small Meeting Room #115 (1512 Museum Road)
- Southwest Recreation Center Lobby (3150 Hull Road)
- Health Science Center Library (1249 Center Drive)
- Institute of Black Culture Classroom (1510 W. University Ave.)
- Heavener Hall (1325 W. University Ave.)
- Reitz Union Print Lab, Lower Level (655 Reitz Union Drive)
- Norman Education Library (618 SW 12th St.)
- Keys Complex (2191 Stadium Road)
Election results will be announced Wednesday after polls close.
Live updates:
Heavener Hall, 6:05 p.m.
Parker Labruyere, a 21-year-old finance senior, said he thinks voting is pointless because of Vision’s dominance in election turnout.
“I don’t see a world where my vote would necessarily count or make a difference,” Labruyere said.
He added Vision’s cuts to the bus system upsetted him as some of the routes he used were cut. Moreover, he believes student government has no impact, and the administration does.
“I’m really not that hopeful that there could be change,” Labruyere said. “Every year, it’s the same talking points and not much gets done beyond what they’ve been required to do.”
– Jeffrey Serber
Reitiz Union Print Lab, 6:04 p.m.
Gary Knowles, an 18-year-old mechanical engineering freshman and current Buckman Hall resident, said that dorm refurbishment motivated his voting choices.
Knowles voted for Vision, citing his connection to the party from Alpha Tau Omega, his fraternity.
“I think I’ll become more involved as the years go on,” Knowles said in regards to voting in future elections.
– Sofia Garcia
Reitz Union Print Lab, 5:57 p.m
Aaron Walsh, an 18-year-old data science freshman, voted predominantly for Vision, stating that his friendship with Ezra Fine, Vision’s candidate for the Tolbert representative, played into his voting decision.
Will Choi, an 18-year-old applied physiology and kinesiology freshman, joined Walsh at the polling site, and he also supported Fine’s bid.
Choi said noise rules in dorms, which he said are too strict, is his biggest grievance.
Both students are advocates for voter efficacy, and said while they trust Vision, they encourage students to vote for what they believe in.
“Voting is a basic right, you need to exercise your opinion in order to be heard,” Choi said.
– Sofia Garcia
Heavener Hall, 5:51 p.m.
Parker Robinson, a 21-year-old and second-year political science graduate student, said he was a student senator for the Vision Party during the Spring 2025 semester but was removed for not showing up to meetings that overlapped with a class.
He voted for Vision because he’s familiar with the people in the party and how it runs in order to efficiently get legislation passed. However, Vision’s dominance in recent elections is a concern for Robinson, especially because the party contains many members of Greek organizations across campus.
“In the uniparty system, the lack of information to the student body is alarming because I think that’s the reason these kids don’t know is because we’re internal,” he said. “Vision Party is very internal.”
He said a solution to this issue would be to vote in more members of a different party to give VIsion the checks and balances it needs or have university leadership, such as President Stuart Bell, get involved.
He hopes Vision addresses providing more graduate student centers, or spaces for graduate students to study and meet around campus. He added a lot of the graduate floors in the libraries on campus are not well-equipped to meet the needs of the students.
– Jeffrey Serber
Reitz Union Print Lab, 5:45 p.m.
Owen Szymanski, a 20-year-old computer science junior, said he’s become familiar with the political landscape at UF in his years as a student, and it’s a big reason why he voted. He said he voted in hopes of limiting the influence of Vision.
“They have definitely made an arrangement. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. Greek life votes for Vision. Vision helps Greek life, and then we essentially end up with this one-party system that we have,” Szymanski said.
Szymanski said it’s important for him, and every student on campus to use their voice. While Greek life dominates elections, they don’t represent the majority of students, he said, and other students increasing their participation can help limit the influence of fraternities and sororities in student government elections.
In the future, Szymanski hopes other student groups will increase their power within the student government system.
“It's important to at least have at least two parties, if not more, that actually have a competitive chance.”
– Logan McBride
Heavener Hall, 5:36 p.m.
Yasmina Doristin, an 18-year-old business administration freshman, said she did not know that student government elections were taking place.
“That’s actually kind of crazy because that means I haven’t been keeping up with my campus news,” she said.
One issue that she would like improved is the busing system on campus.
UF cut nearly $4 million in funding for the Regional Transit System to focus on campus-specific services while Vision was in office. Routes 16, 34, 35 and 711 were cut entirely while 11 other routes underwent major changes.
Doristin said that she hasn’t had the chance to explore much of Gainesville because the buses take so long.
“I can take an Uber or Lyft, but every time I want to explore Gainesville, I have to pay like $14,” she said. “It adds up in that cost.”
She added that she’d like to see improved quality of life for students living on campus. She heard from a resident assistant that her entire floor flooded.
– Jeffrey Serber
Reitz Union Print Lab, 5:35 p.m.
Nishalle Uthuppan, a 20-year old health sciences junior, said she avoided voting because of Vision’s stronghold on the elections.
“After hearing how Vision always wins the election, just by leveraging Greek life, leveraging the fact that there's kind of a monopoly and the fact that they always win, what's the point of voting then?” Uthuppan said.
She said she doesn’t believe Vision is inherently bad, but she feels the way they remain in power feels wrong and neutralizes student voices.
“I know that it's a huge responsibility to allocate $17 million, but it should be fair and it should be truly representative of what the student body is,” she said.
– Logan McBride
Honors Village, 5:22 p.m.
Max DeAlmeida, an 18-year-old economics freshman, said he voted because he wanted to get involved. He noted he wrote down a candidate who was not on the ballot for the Yulee Area.
“I know the person I voted for; I know they have great morals, great driving factors and a great moral compass,” DeAlmeida said.
He emphasized the need for additional whiteboards in dormitory common areas and the promotion of a positive environment for mental health.
“They promote [an] overall good environment as far as promoting mental health awareness,” he said.
– Emily Zickuhr
Honors Village, 5:12 p.m.
Luke Lower, an 18-year-old finance freshman, said he voted because of his fraternity.
“The fraternity I’m pledging really pushed that we should all come out and vote,” Lower said. “That’s why I came here.”
When asked who he cast his vote for he said “Jacob Rosenberg.” He also added he was the only candidate listed for Broward.
Jacob Rosenberg is a Vision Party candidate running for the Broward senate seat.
– Emily Zickuhr
Keys Residential Complex, 5:00 p.m.
Chase Sciascia, a 19-year-old business administration sophomore, said he voted for the Vision Party because of the party’s policies and his membership in Theta Chi fraternity.
He said he was there to support fellow Theta Chi members who ran with Vision, and anti-hazing policies were his primary concern for future legislation efforts in the senate.
“I like Vision,” he said.
– Sofia Garcia
Heavener Hall, 4:57 p.m.
Jeremiah Hartemink, a 17-year-old biology freshman, said he has not voted yet but plans on voting for Vision’s Belen Vera for Honors Village representative. Hartemink knows Vera personally and believes she has the best interest of all students in mind.
Hartemink said he feels slightly undereducated about the elections even though he knows one of the candidates. He recommends the school or parties sending out an email or having a flyer posted up in the Honors Village hallway.
“It'd be really cool to have a bit more emphasis on the whole process,” he said. “I’d be really cool to have more out there.
– Jeffrey Serber
Heavener Hall, 4:43 p.m.
Kaan Torosdagli, an 18-year-old architecture freshman, said he was unaware student government elections were taking place. However, now that he is aware, he is considering voting.
“I just never heard about the elections,” he said. “Nothing went out. No email, no nothing.”
Torosdagli added that having an uninformed student body takes away perspectives that could have an impact on student government.
– Jeffrey Serber
Heavener Hall, 4:36 p.m.
Scarlett Sequenzia, a 19-year-old exploratory freshman, said she has not decided whether she will vote. Students tabling for Vision have approached her, she added, but she feels she lacks sufficient information to make a wise decision in the election.
“I’m a little confused on the whole thing,” she said. “I feel like most of my information’s been from the Vision Party, and I don’t really know what they’re all about.”
She said an announcement on Canvas could help educate the student body about the election so more students like herself are inclined to vote.
– Jeffrey Serber
Reitz Union Print Lab, 3:12 p.m.
Abigail Pruden, a 19-year-old biology sophomore, said she’s excited to see a party opposing Vision. She cast her vote for the Hope Party because she valued diversity during elections and fair representation of the student body, she said.
“I think there is a very disproportionate representation of Greek life in student government, and I want to see more policies that are more widely flexible,” Pruden said.
In a time where Florida has decided undocumented students are no longer able to attend state universities, Pruden urges for more representation so all student voices may be heard.
“I really appreciate one of their main priorities is support for international and immigrant students,” she said. “I think we need them to be represented in the student government in a more substantial way.”
– Emily Medina-Finsen
Reitz Union Print Lab, 3:02 p.m.
Hank Xu, a 20-year-old pre-nursing freshman, said he voted for Hope Party candidate Carter Fisk. Xu said he knows Fisk, and that influenced his voting decision.
Xu’s top concern is public transportation, saying consistency and access surrounding Gainesville’s Regional Transit System should be a priority, he said.
Other issues like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence on campus and funding cuts influenced Xu’s vote, he said, specifically referencing President Donald Trump’s efforts to cut research funding.
A 2025 executive order signed by Trump halted funding for programs supporting DEI initiatives. An analysis by the Brennan Center found the administration cut or froze over $3 billion of previously approved research grants from the National Institute of Health and the National Science Foundation in 2025, and about $1.4 billion remained frozen by the start of 2026.
While Xu hasn’t personally encountered ICE agents on campus, he said he would “love to have less of them on campus.”
– Christian Haas
Reitz Union Print Lab, 2:54 p.m.
Braden Nahmiaan, an 18-year-old aerospace engineering freshman, came out to the polls to support a friend on the ballot.
Nahmias said he voted for Vision for its platform, which addresses updating residence hall lounges to install projectors and whiteboards. He said he hopes to see improvements in his dormitory, Tolbert hall, expressing issues with the bathrooms.
“I could use them and get my work done,” he said.
– Emily Medina-Finsen
Reitz Union Print Lab, 2:45 p.m.
Devin Doty, a 23-year-old mechanical engineering senior, voted for the Hope Party. After voting for the Change Party his sophomore year, he said he saw differences being made across campus and wanted to continue that trend.
“There’s more to UF than Greek life,” Doty said. “Especially in today’s day and age, there needs to be a lot more focus on protecting student rights and being more current with issues.”
He said he hopes to see upgrades to campus facilities to improve students’ quality of life.
Doty leads a design team for a group of engineers and said he’s seen firsthand how funding affects the team’s accomplishments.
He encouraged more students to vote in elections at the university, local, state and federal levels.
“I think it’s very important to protect whatever everyone wants to say, but I think we also need to do a better job of calling out when someone says something unacceptable and damaging,” Doty said.
– Emily Medina-Finsen
Reitz Union Print Lab, 2:25 p.m.
James Cardona, a 20-year-old mechanical engineering junior, said the Vision Party ignores issues integral to campus life. He’s tired of what he labeled as corruption, because fraternities and sororities are “voluntold” to vote for the Vision Party, he said.
Cardona said his top concerns are Regional Transit System (RTS) funding and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on campus.
“There’s the 287(g) agreement, which deputizes UFPD to do the job of ICE,” he said. “To racially profile students.”
Accessibility concerns including a lack of parking and bike lanes are quality of life improvements Cardona would like to see student government address, he said, going to critique the Vision Party. He feels the party’s main draw is its ties to Gator Growl, he said.
“Celebrating, champagne [and] bourgeois, rather than helping the average student,” he said.
– Christian Haas
Reitz Union Print Lab, 2:16 p.m.
Ilya Knyazev, an 18-year-old philosophy, politics, economics and law freshman, said he voted based on candidates’ stances on transportation.
After meeting Aidan Tau just two hours before he went to the polls, Knyazev voted for the Vision Party candidate because of Tau’s goal to improve apps students use to navigate public transportation.
“He just came up to me, and he just seemed well spoken,” Knyazev said. “He had policies that I thought were intuitive but not yet applied.”
Aiden Marshall, an 18-year-old computer science freshman, voted for Hope Party candidate Carter Fisk, stressing affordability as his main concern.
“That's what I'm really worried about,” Marshall said. “And then, I don't know, I haven't heard too much good things about the current people in charge.”
This was Marshall’s first time voting in a Student Government election.
– Julia Miller
Reitz Union Print Lab, 1:32 p.m.
Isla Spiegel, an 18-year-old pre-professional health science freshman, hadn’t been planning to vote, but she said she was won over by the Vision Party’s “aggressive tactics.”
“I voted for the Vision Party just because I don't really know the other party,” Spiegel said, “because I've only heard about the Vision Party and also they were in front of my dorm.”
Spiegel added she wouldn’t have voted if she hadn’t already planned to visit the print lab to use the printers.
– Julia Miller
Reitz Union Print Lab, 12:56 p.m.
Felipe Pinto, a 21-year-old chemical engineering junior, voted for independent candidate Matthew White for off-campus senator. Speaking with White gave Pinto a good impression, he said.
Pinto is the co-founder of UF’s North American Young Generation in Nuclear chapter and said he believes Student Government should make student organizations a priority.
“Of course who you vote for [in] Student Government impacts what's going to happen in terms of funding for the clubs and some other stuff that may impact the broader interaction that I have with the campus,” Pinto said, “especially because I'm an owner of a club.”
– Julia Miller
Reitz Union Print Lab, 12:22 p.m.
Olivia Messana, a 19-year-old pre-pharmacy sophomore, said she is voting for Vision because it has run uncontested since Fall 2025. Messana said she sees no reason to switch parties this year and likes what Vision Party has to offer.
“What really spoke out to me is that they are working to help reduce prices for students,” Messana said.
In recent years, Vision has worked toward lowering the costs of smaller student expenses through Food for Fines, which allows students to donate canned food to Hitchcock Field and Fork Pantry to dismiss parking citations.
– Lilyanna Collado
Reitz Union Print Lab, 11:07 a.m.
Ian Laari, an 18-year-old nuclear engineering freshman, said he voted for Vision Party because he knows several members, and he’s heard about the party’s domination in recent elections.
“So far I have no complaints about how Student Government's doing, so I have no issues voting for them,” he said.
Laari added he believes participating in Student Government elections is important. He pointed to the organization’s role in funding campus programs and events, including Homecoming, as reasons students should vote.
“At the end of the day, Student Government has a pretty big budget,” he said.
– Hailey Kon
Reitz Union Print Lab, 10:59 a.m.
Nathan Wilner, an 18-year-old applied physiology and kinesiology freshman, voted Vision because of the party’s visibility.
“That's what I've seen the most for marketing and stuff like that,” he said.
Similarly, Filip Janeski, an 18-year-old mechanical engineering freshman, said he voted for Vision because of its heavy campus presence.
“I see the shirts everywhere, and I have a few friends involved,” Janeski said.
Entering their first Student Government election, Wilner and Janeski said Vision’s campaigning efforts, along with conversations they’ve had with party members, influenced their decisions.
– Hailey Kon
Southwest Recreation Center, 10:30 a.m.
Students voting for candidates from their sororities is a common theme on Tuesday’s polling. Alexa Bishop, a 21-year-old industrial systems engineering senior, came to the Southwest Recreation Center to vote for the Vision Party in support of her sorority sisters, she said.
Bishop wants more outdoor seating around campus, she said, and she supports Vision’s mission to increase networking and career resources.
“I really believe in what they’re doing,” Bishop said.
– Alana Nguyen
Heavener Hall, 10:23 a.m.
For 19-year-old finance freshman Chance Campbell, voting is a way to support his friends. He came out to vote because he knew people running in Vision Party and wanted to vote for them, he said.
Campbell hopes for quality of life changes on campus, he added, and he would like to see UF’s campus remain clean, though he said he wasn’t sure how Vision Party would address these concerns directly.
“I remember hearing good things about their party, and I figured I would go for them,” he said.
– Brandy Sumner
Heavener Hall, 10:19 a.m.
Aaron Forgas, a 19-year-old political science and economics sophomore, voted because he believes it is his civic duty.
Even though he forgot which party he voted for after leaving the polls, he said, he doesn’t believe it matters. Campus life seems pretty good, he said, so he doesn’t see areas of major improvement.
“I like to see the events and all the programs that exist stay funded,” Forgas said.
– Brandy Sumner
Southwest Recreation Center, 10:05 a.m.
When 20-year-old Charleigh Wood headed to the polls, she looked for a friendly face.
The animal science junior came out to vote for Vision candidate and close friend Molly Murphy, she said.
Murphy is campaigning for an off-campus seat, according to Vision Party’s Instagram.
“I think that she’s what it means to be a strong leader,” Wood said. “She would represent the Gainesville and UF community very well.”
Access to transportation, food and academic resources are some of the most important issues for Wood. Creating more opportunities for students to get involved and find community is something she hopes to see on campus, she said.
– Chloe Santiago
Southwest Recreation Center, 9:47 a.m.
Across 37 potential candidates, 21-year old Kristin McKay voted for a mix of Vision, Hope and independent parties.
Sorority ties to Vision candidate Berkeley Morris, who spoke of the elections at one of Gamma Phi Beta’s chapters, brought the applied physiology and kinesiology senior to the polls. Living off campus, one of the issues McKay cares the most about was public transportation.
UF cut nearly $4 million in funding for the Regional Transit System (RTS) to focus on campus-specific services like the Campus Connector, according to the City of Gainesville. Routes 16, 34, 35 and 711 were slashed and 11 other routes underwent major changes.
Transit changes took effect in Fall 2025, but they remain a hot button issue for voters today.
“When they defunded a lot of the buses, it was really hard to get on campus as quickly,” she said.
– Chloe Santiago
